Fantasmic! - Differences Between The Versions

Differences Between The Versions

Although the shows in Disneyland, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tokyo DisneySea are similar in many respects, there are some differences between the three versions.

• In the old Disneyland version of the finale, as soon as Mickey says "Some imagination, huh? Ha ha!", the cone of lights immediately turns on and fireworks from the barges surrounding the stage ignite. This caused the audience to view how Mickey "vanishes". Now, like the Disney World version, there is a spark of bright pyrotechnics as soon as the line is said. In the Tokyo DisneySea version, this illusion is created by pyrotechnics at Mickey's platform, followed by a quick release trap set within the platform.
• The choreography of the Opening Mickey and Sorcerer Mickey in both Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios are different in their own ways. At Tokyo DisneySea, this choreography is completely removed, as this show has a different opening.
• Whereas the show is performed on the Rivers of America at Disneyland, Disney needed a new nighttime draw for Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Hollywood Hills Amphitheater built at Disney's Hollywood Studios was made specifically for Fantasmic!
• At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the show runs for almost 27 minutes (due to the montage of Disney clips inside bubbles, the additional villains, and the wall of water at the climax), compared to Disneyland's which is only 22 minutes. The Tokyo DisneySea version runs at approximately 23 minutes.
• The Jungle Scene with Kaa, King Louie, and the monkeys from The Jungle Book at Disneyland is replaced with a tribute to The Lion King at Disney's Hollywood Studios. However, King Louie and the monkeys do appear briefly in the bubble scene. Tokyo DisneySea uses characters from both films series, as well as video from Tarzan to accent the "Circle of Life" scene from the Lion King.
• The Peter Pan re-enactment from Disneyland was replaced with scenes from Pocahontas at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the request of Michael Eisner, who wanted more recent films in the show.
• The "Pink Elephants on Parade" clips and Pinocchio puppets are replaced with a montage of many clips from Disney features inside bubbles at Disney's Hollywood Studios. However, they do appear briefly in the bubble scene. Clips of the bubble montage are found in "The Little Mermaid" / "Finding Nemo" section, while clips of "Pink Elephants" are projected on the screens during the "Friend Like Me" segment from Disney's Aladdin found in the Tokyo DisneySea version.
• Ursula's reprisal of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is taken out at Disney's Hollywood Studios to introduce the other Disney villains. She plays a smaller role in the Florida show than in the California one. In Tokyo DisneySea's version, her role is identical to California's version, with the exception that the song is in Japanese.
• More villains are featured in the Florida version. Many of the additions are villains from Disney animated features released after the Disneyland version was first introduced.
• In California, Mickey destroys the villains by pointing a sword at the Dragon and saying, "You may think you're so powerful, well, this is my dream!" before light shoots from his sword toward the villains. In Florida, he still says this, but before he destroys the villains, he causes a wall of water to block out the island and douse the flames; he then marches over to the sword in the stone and pulls it out.
• Instead of the Mark Twain riverboat, the characters in the Florida show dance on a smaller boat based on the steamboat from Steamboat Willie. Tokyo DisneySea uses four barges refurbished from previous shows performed in the Mediterranean Harbor.
• In the California version, the giant snake that comes out on the stage is Kaa from The Jungle Book; in the Florida version, the snake is Jafar from Aladdin. Also, Jafar has a much bigger role in the show than any other villain except for Maleficent. Tokyo DisneySea uses a redesigned Kaa as a moving float during the "Circle of Life" segment.
• Having been updated, the California version's Maleficent dragon is considerably more advanced than its Florida counterpart and has a wider range of movement.
• The final battle scene in Tokyo DisneySea's show differs from both its American counterparts. While both California and Florida versions pit Brave Little Tailor Mickey against the dragon Maleficent, Sorcerer Mickey is the one who battles Maleficent at Tokyo DisneySea. Instead of using a sword, Mickey shoots fireworks from a magic wand topped with a Hidden Mickey emblem.
• Unlike the US versions, Tokyo DisneySea's show does not open with the "Welcome to Fantasmic!..." phrase as part of the opening act; instead it starts off with Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice. The narration is recited as part of the pre-show announcements in both Japanese and English, by two male voices, instead of a female voice.
• The Finale music at Tokyo DisneySea is almost identical to the US versions except when the chorus sings the "Imagination" theme song instead of Bruce Healey's lyrics for the US versions. The choreography is different as well, with no dancing ribbons.
  • The music of the Villain segment of the show is almost identical to Disneyland's version, with two notable exceptions: in the Chernabog scene, the music is instead a mixture of "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Hellfire"; and instead of the Evil Queen's Transformation to the Old Hag, Mickey is the one who summons the Magic Mirror and the power of evil.
• The dialog in Tokyo DisneySea's version is in Japanese. When translated from Japanese to English, Mickey's dialog in Tokyo DisneySea's version is literally the same as the US versions (except when Mickey calls the Magic Mirror and the magic of romance).
• In all three versions Bruce Healey's Exit Music can be heard after each performance.
• Tokyo's Princess Sequence does not include vocals, but a more orchestral soundtrack than its US counterparts. It also features Cinderella, Snow White, and Aurora. The US versions feature Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White and her Prince.
  • Tokyo's version features Ariel (as both human and mermaid), Beauty and the Beast, The Princess and the Frog (as animation), and Snow White (Theme and Finale). Cinderella is the only Princess featured who does not appear in all three versions. Belle and the Beast are featured as animation only; they do not appear in the Finale.